Sri Lanka searching for 140 ISIS-linked suspects

EPA-EFE / M.A. PUSHPA KUMARA

Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday that authorities are searching for 140 suspects with links to the Islamic State (ISIS), which claimed responsibility for the series of Easter Sunday bombings in the country. Sirisena added that the country's police chief Pujuth Jayasundara has stepped down over the attacks.

Earlier, Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned at Sirisena's request after Sri Lankan officials admitted to a massive intelligence failure after receiving alerts about the attacks two weeks in advance and not preventing them.

The death toll in the bombings in churches and hotels in Sri Lanka was initially reported to be 359 but was later revised down to 253.